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For more than 50 years Kerri-Anne Kennerley has been a constant on our TV screens – always smiling, always energetic and always upbeat.
However, this week, the dynamic 65-year-old is none of these.
Instead, her heart is broken following the death of the love of her life and husband of 35 years, John, who endured two years as a quadriplegic following a freak accident in 2016, only to die of pneumonia last week.
To say Kerri-Anne is devastated to lose John is an understatement. A friend who spoke to her soon after his death says she is “shattered” but also accepts that it was his time, explaining John was “tired of it all” at the end.
There is only so much one person can endure.
However, Kerri-Anne’s days of being a nurse to the ailing are not over yet, with her beloved mother Grace, 97, now living in her home after suffering a stroke which almost killed her last year.
WATCH: Kerri-Anne’s heartbreaking tribute
“Mum adored John,” Kerri-Anne said, adding that she is concerned his loss may affect her mother’s health.
“They would sit and watch TV together. It was almost comical though as Mum is hard of hearing and John found it difficult to talk at an audible volume. But they have been wonderful company for each other.”
Kerri-Anne is incredibly close to her family. Her older sister Jan, who is married to KAK’s best friend John Kehoe, lives around the corner in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, and they see each other almost daily.
Their brothers Russ and Michael are expected to attend the funeral, along with John’s relatives who are flying in from the UK for the service (his brother Paul is a successful singer songwriter who was once married to Emmylou Harris).
John’s son, Simon, from his first marriage, moved back to Australia soon after his father’s accident to help with his care and his daughter, Tracy, also lives in Sydney.
Family support is keeping KAK upright as she organises John’s funeral, held this Monday at All Saints Church in Woollahra and followed by a small, private “just family and very close friends” gathering.
“I just need to get through the funeral,” Kerri-Anne said through tears. “I am trying to organise things the way John would like, which is by making lists and double-checking everything. He was always so organised.”
Also helping KAK in these hard times is her beloved golden retriever Digger, one of the many dogs she and John considered as their children throughout their long marriage.
But while Kerri-Anne will no doubt miss her husband every day of her life to come, those who know her well know she won’t be down for long.
“Kerri-Anne is someone who never dwells on the negative,” her friend says.
“Even after the accident, it wasn’t a case of ‘poor me and poor John’ it was about what she could do to improve the situation, whether it be another rehab machine, a lift so John could get himself upstairs to the bedroom or to ensure the best specialist care … She and John always looked forward, not back and I can’t see that changing.
“But that said, the reality her best friend is really gone will hit her hard. She may be upset now but I think it will be harder in a few weeks’ time when the mourners have left and the medical equipment is gone and it is just her, Grace and Digger in that big house.
“She will no doubt turn to tell John something as she has done for 35 years and he won’t be there and that will be heartbreaking.”
Following the funeral, Kerri-Anne will take a break for a couple of weeks then plans to return to her job as a Studio 10 host. As her friend says, “there have been two constants in Kerri-Anne’s life – John and her work. She has lost one. She will now need the other more than ever.”
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